May 26, 2010

Smores. Step-by-step.

First, you need to get yourself a Christmas tree. Preferably, one that has been drying out in your back yard since January. Don't worry if the neighbors think it's an eyesore. It's a Zielske family tradition!

Next, you need fire. Hey Scarecrow, how's about a little fire?

Then, once the kindling is lit, you need to cut up the tree.

Sometimes, you need a bit more man power.

Now you're talking. Hey hot stuff, wanna light my fire?

Next, prepare your ingredients.

Then, take a self portrait on wide angle from a slightly elevated vantage point because it will make you look really chinless.

Next, begin the marshmallow toasting, preferably using tallish teens.

Once maximum toastage is achieved, assemble the delicacy.

Drool appropriately for about 15 seconds.

And never, ever record the Weight Watcher's points on a summer tradition.

Love this!!! I just got done watching Monty Python's Holy Grail...that's a nice shrubbery you had in your yard...lol! Actually your Christmas Tree tradition sounds like something my family would have done. I'm sure this is going to make a scrapbook page soon.

If you want an AWESOME ww friendly dessert check this one out on ww.com Creamy Lemon Pie. It is so so good. Not chocolate but is awesome. I found it doing a search and everyone raves about how great it is - I had to try it.

My youngers are reading over my shoulder and have BEGGED to do the same thing. Their rationale: we don't need the Christmas tree (since ours is plastic and that would smell bad) but we have the same exact outdoor fireplace. I have been told to buy marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers for tonight. BRILLIANT tradition, CZ.

Yummy Yummy Yummy, I love me some s'mores!!! Especially when the marshmallows are SLOW cooked so they are totally melty and delicious and the chocolate gets nice and melty... Ok, nope, wouldn't count the WW Points either.

BTW, doing WW since mid Jan and I've lost 22 lbs. plus just started swimming with a bunch of Masters (read old people) at 6 a.m. I'm loving it.

That is so funny. A friend of ours once told us that it was a family tradition to burn their christmas tree on New Years eve. Turns out it was a brand spanking new 'tradition', inspired by the alcohol that had recently been consumed. If I remember correctly, he burnt the decorations too. Not being a twenty something boy I didn't fully understand the joy of it all - but if we had had marshmallows - well that would have been fun! As it turns out, the 'tradition' did actually continue for several years. I believe the police even attended their parties once or twice, by invitation of their neighbours. I don't think they remembered the marshmallows either...

That is so funny to read about your tradition. Yours is so normal compared to our families. We always find an animal bone or two on every vacation and put it up on our roof out of sight until the next vacation. One year we put a bone up on the roof to dry out so one of the kids could take it to school to share. We forgot about it until about a year later. Ever since, we always search for a bone on vacation and have swapped out the old bone with the new found one. Dumb, but a good memory.

I loved this whole post, great pictures the journaling.Just the laught I needed this morning. My kids eat their smores so fast I can't even get a picture until it's in their mouths and a mess is ooozing out. we've been known to keep our tree that long too but now we have the fake kind. Thanks Cathy and now I need to go to store and buy the essentials.

Oh, the memories... it has been YEARS since we have gone camping and made S'mores! Long ago, my parents traded in the tents - and then, later the camper - for a cottage. Since we go to the cabin now, instead of camping, we haven't made a campfire for years.... and s'mores cooked on a gas grill just don't taste the same.

I hate camping!
I hate high-pitched-fly-into-your-eardrum-bugs.
I hate sleeping on the only spot of ground with a jagged pointy-ass ROCK sticking up.
I hate the "do I have to pee bad enough to actually climb out of my warm burrow, and find a tree" monologue.

We started experimenting with other types of chocolate and now my kids won't eat Hershey bars on s'mores. They think they're too waxy. We've had peanut butter cups, M&Ms, dark chocolate chips, Mr Goodbars, Almond Joys, and many other things. We camped last year on Halloween so after they assembled their s'mores, I let them squish the roasted marshmallow out the sides and then we rolled the sides in orange sugar crystals. They were a HUGE hit!

This is so funny, Cathy! I love your tradition!! :)Any other, not so typical one?!
LOVE love the note about making chinless photos, my mom is always worried about the angle of photo we are taking of her too.
So fun! Thanks for the evening's laugh.
And hmmm, yummy!

this made me smile big time. we're moving to a new house here in a couple weeks and I was just thinking about making smores in our new backyard. I don't think there's anything better - and using the Christmas tree? Seriously brilliant!

cheers for that cathy.
i have seen smores over the years on tv and movies and often wondered about the crackers. sis is heading to states soon - might have to add graham crackers to her long shopping list!